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Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:08 pm
by mribble
I was just using the trial version and went through the getting started tutorial. I am very impressed. It did everything I wanted and much more. :D

The only problem I ran into was most of my inkscape generated dxf files would not load. I started experimenting and even some very simple dxf files would not load. I've attached a file containing a star made of some standard paths in case someone wants to look at a failing case. Other programs had no problems opening this file.

The good news is that inkscape can export files as eps or pdf which both seem to work with cut2d. I'm wondering if others have seen this problem with dxf files in cut2d? Does anyone use inkscape with eps files and do they always work? Is there any disadvantage to using esp files? Dxf seems to be the most common file format around so I am wondering why cut2d has problems with it.

Basically I just want some reassurances that my inkscape drawings will open in cut2d before I pay for it.

Thanks!

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:48 pm
by ger21
They won't open in AutoCAD either. I think a lot of people have had this problem, and one user at CNC Zone was talking about writing a new .dxf exporter for inkscape.

What you can try in the meantime, is to use A9 Converter to convert the .dxf to an older version (12 or older)
www.a9tech.com

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:02 am
by mribble
I tried the A9 Converter and cut2d would still fail to open the dxf file after converting it to an older version. Then I tried using this inkscape extension to improve it's dxf exporting (http://www.bobcookdev.com/inkscape/inkscape-dxf.html). Trying to load these files crashed cut2d (see attached dump log). However if I run this same dxf file through A9 Converter and then into cut2d it loads, but I still have double lines (ie every path is a bounded surface instead of just line). This double line problem is why pdf and eps files are also unacceptable.

I did find that importing the inkscape dxf files into another package and then exporting them makes a dxf file that cut2d can handle properly.

I really don't know who's software has the issue (inkscape or cut2d). I will keep looking for a better solution, but as of right now my best solution is inkscape->other package->cut2d. If anyone has a better solution please let me know.

Forum doesn't allow me to attach .dmp files. I can attach this by renaming it an acceptable format, but I'm not sure if I should share dump files.

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:27 am
by mribble
I realized my double line issue above was caused by transparency in inkscape so I can work around that pretty easily since I can remove all transparency in inkscape. All my other issues above remain.

The reasons I'm avoiding corel draw are because of price and because I learned to use inkscape and when I tried to use corel after knowing inkscape I realized it would take time to learn Corel. I imagine the dxf files from corel draw work better with cut2d, right?

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 4:35 am
by RoutnAbout
mribble wrote:I realized my double line issue above was caused by transparency in inkscape so I can work around that pretty easily since I can remove all transparency in inkscape. All my other issues above remain.

The reasons I'm avoiding corel draw are because of price and because I learned to use inkscape and when I tried to use corel after knowing inkscape I realized it would take time to learn Corel. I imagine the dxf files from corel draw work better with cut2d, right?
What happens if you save it in the eps format?

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:14 pm
by tamathumper
Although DXF is a "standard", there are many versions of it. They seem to be referred to by the revision of AutoCAD that they were introduced with.

I had a problem with Cut2D not opening my DXF files that I had saved with TurboCAD v14 (see recent thread), until I realized they were being saved in the newest version of DXF that TurboCAD supported, eg. "AutoCAD 2007". Other supported revisions, in reverse chronological order, were AutoCAD 2004/2005, AutoCAD 2000, and AutoCAD R14.

I set up TurboCAD to save my drawings in R14 format, and Cut2D was once again able to import them. I agree with you that Cut2D should be able to open more recent DXF formats.

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:02 am
by mribble
The esp files seem to work as long as I don't use transparent lines. Just to be clear it's not cut2d's issue with transparent lines. This is how inkscape exports transparent lines in formats that don't support transparency. If anyone is to blame it's the user (ie me).

It would be great if the next version of cut2d improved it's handling of dxf files. Is there any document describing what features of the dxf format that cut2d supports? I have what appears to be dxf version 12 file and cut2d still won't open it. If I had such a document or the source to cut2d's dxf importer then I might be willing to take a crack at modifying the dxf exporter in inkscape to be compatible with cut2d. If I were to do this enabling verbose error logging in cut2d would be helpful so I could have an idea why cut2d isn't loading my dxf file.

Anyways I just bought cut2d and must say it is awesome. It saved about half an hour on my first part with it. The old software I was using didn't allow me to set tool size, auto tabs, or multiple shallow passes. And the user interface is so much better than what I was using. I'm sure I'll be spoiled in no time and expect all these features to be there, but right now I still appreciate them. :lol:

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:45 am
by Switcher
I've been doing a lot of research on Inkscape DXF exporting, the links below should help you get a Version 14 dxf export from Inscape.

The Inkscape DXF was built for a single machine in mind, (Craft Robo) it's kinda like a printer/cutter for scrapbookers.

I'm pretty sure you'll still need to convert that version 14 dxf file to version 12 or lower autocad, to open the dxf file into any Vectric program (Tony/Brian correct me If I'm wrong :) ).


http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpost. ... count=2701

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpost. ... count=2708


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Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:57 pm
by tamathumper
Cut2D does open all of my R14 drawings, but I would note this is from TurboCAD, not from AutoCAD. TurboCAD is considered a "major" vendor and has been around for a long time, but there still may be differences between the two programs and their file formats.

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:39 pm
by mboydraska
I also had problems with opening dxf files, I needed to convert to version12. This is the only one I use now.

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:34 pm
by Tony Mac
Hello mribble,

Interesting reading your progress with Inkscape and glad to see Cut2D is working well for you.

Please simply use the EPS directly out of Inkscape as this works perfectly well. The eps files
will be easier to modify and work with, and the toolapths should not be a problem.

DXF R12 and R14 will usually work with cut2D, but if you are seeing a problem with R14 export
as R12 as suggested by Switcher.

Tony

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:53 pm
by tamathumper
Tony is there hope of a more robust DXF handler for Vectric products?

This seems like such a bummer of a problem for an otherwise top-notch program. Cut2D is otherwise head and shoulders above all the other programs I was using.

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:06 pm
by Tony Mac
The DXF filter works perfectly well for 99.9% R12 / R14 formats and I believe
that every CAD package that writes dxf has the option to save in one or
both of these formats or as EPS / AI.

This really is a moving target because next year you can guarantee that AutoCAD
will have an even newer version of DXF. We could spend our lives chasing this one
and not doing what the majority of users want - developing useful enhancements.

Please try to take this positively - use what works and refrain from posting
questions to issues that we have already answered.

A frustrated Tony :roll:

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:49 pm
by tamathumper
No offense taken and I understand completely. Is there a thread regarding this already?

Re: Inkscape dxf files not loading into cut2d

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 1:52 am
by John S
I deal with dxf files a lot, either sending them to customers, to the laser cutters or getting them for my own machines.

There is no standard, Autodesk who were supposed to look after the standards just keep moving the goalposts so that you have to run their latest software. There is even a file format called DXF2 which can't be read by the base convertor.

Depending on who the software people buy their module from depends on how it reads and writes.
Turbocad was one of the worst in the game for writing DXF files at one time.
I no longer use it so can't comment on later V14 and 15 issues.

I usually run about 4 or 5 cad programs on my computer just for conversion of files. Most are free or the cut down free versions and they are just there for insurance purposes.
I have even took a file home written from Autocad that I can't open with anything, took it back to work the next day and the machine that wrote it couldn't read it either.

Delta cad is is nice cheap one that works well, very simple and it also has a good feature in that you can easily draw over an imported bitmap or jpeg if the scanning programs don't clean up enough for you.

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